Slide fastener



Oct. 20,1964 E. K. BERRY Y 3,153,269

SLIDE: FASTENER Filed June 21, 1962 ll l v y @www United States Patent O 3,153,269 SLEDE FASTENER Earl K. Berry, El Segundo, Calif., assignor to Smyth, Reston & Pai/itt, Los Angeles, Calif., a co-partnership Filed June 21, 1962, Ser. No. 204,126 6 Claims. (Cl. 24-201) This invention relates to a slide fastener assembly in which a slide member is slideable in opposite directions along two complementary plastic fastener strips to close the two fastener strips into mutual engagement with each other or to disengage and separate the two fastening strips.

As will be disclosed in detail, the invention relates to a particular cooperating pair of plastic fastener strips of the prior art, each of which fastener strips is formed with two pairs of longitudinal hooking flanges for engagement with two corresponding pairs of hooking flanges of the other fastening strip. Since the cooperating pairs of hooking flanges engage each other in a liuidtight manner, this slide fastener assembly has been used successfully to encase devices in plastic bags with confined inert gaseous liuid for storage and transportation of the devices.

Slide members have been produced to close such a pair of plastic fastener strips, but unfortunately no slide member has heretofore been developed that may be shifted in the opposite direction successfully for disengaging the pair of plastic fastener strips. Consequently it has heretofore been necessary to cut the bags open for release of the enveloped devices, the bagsthen being unsuited for reuse.

The present invention provides a slide member which is not only capable of closing the two `fastener strips by sliding movementin one longitudinal direction but is also capable with equal facility of opening and separating the two fastener strips by sliding movement in the opposite longitudinal direction. Thus the invention makes it possible to reuse plastic bags and other similar storage containers which have heretofore been discarded after a 'single use.

To accomplish its purpose, the slide member has two longitudinal passages open on its opposite sides, which two passages converge to form a single passage in one end of the slide member. When the slide member is moved in its closing direction in sliding engagement with the two fastener strips, the two passages rst cause pairs of the hooking iianges of the two fastening strips to spread apart as required to prepare for mutual engagement of the two strips. The two fastening strips are further caused to converge and overlap in the single end passage of the slide member with the various cooperating pairs of hooking flanges positioned for engagement with each other. The two overlapping fastening strips then encounter a rst portion of the end passage which is narrowed in depth dimension to progressively constrict one longitudinal portion of the two overlapping strips to force a pair of hooking anges of each of the strips into mutual engagement with a cooperating pair of hooking flanges of the other fastening strip. Then after this initial mutual engagement of cooperating hooking flanges of the two fastening strips is accomplished, the two fastening strips encounter a second portion of the end passage which is narrowed in depth to complete the coupling of the two fastening strips by forcing a second pair of hooking flanges of each strip into mutual engagement with a cooperating pair of hooking flanges of the other fastening strip.

On the opposite opening movement of the slide member the same operations occur in reverse sequence. The spreading effect of the slide member becomes apparent frv 31,153,261@ ce Patented Oct. 20, 1964 as the two joined fastener strips progress through the end passage to the converging ends of the two longitudinal passages. First the flared expansion of the end passage in the above-mentioned second portion thereof permits a pair of hooking flanges on one fastening strip to disengage from the cooperating pair of hooking flanges on the other fastening strip. Then ared expansion of the end passage in the above-mentioned first portion thereof permits the rest of the hooking flanges to disengage for complete separation of the two fastening strips.

The features and advantages of the invention may be understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, which is to be regarded as merely illustrative:

FIG. 1 is a transverse section on an enlarged scale of the two fastening strips in their closed or mutually engaging positions;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the slide member for engaging and disengaging the two fastening strips;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the slide member with a top section removed to reveal concealed structure;

FIG. 4 is an end elevation of the slide member as seen along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3 with the two fastening strips slidingly engaged by the Vslide member, the two strips being shown in cross section;

FIG. 5 is a transverse section taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 3 showing how the hooking flanges of the two strips are progressively spread apart:

FIG. 6 is a similar sectional view along the line 6-6 of FIG. 3 showing the maximum spread of the hooking flanges as they emerge from the two longitudinal passages into the single end passage;

' FIG. 7 is a transverse section taken along the line 7 7 of FIG. 3 showing how the narrowing in depth dimension of the rst portion of the end passage contracts the one pair of hooking anges of one fastening strip into engagement with a cooperating pair of hook-y ing lianges of other fastening strip;

FIG. 8 is a transverse section along the line 8-8 of FIG. 3 showing how the second portion of the end passage narrows in depth to contract another pair of hooking flanges of the one fastening strip into engagement with a cooperating pair of hooking flanges of the other fastening strip to complete theV coupling of the two strips;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a plastic bag incorporating the invention and employed to confine a device for storage;

- FIG. 10 is a fragmentary side elevational View showing how a handle for the slide member may be folded compactly against the slide member; and

FIG. 1l is a fragmentary section along the line 11-11 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 1 shows in cross section the two fastening strips comprising a first fastening strip generally designated 10 which is shown integral with a margin of a sheet 12 and a second fastening strip, generally designated 14, which is shown integral with a second sheet 15. The sheets 12 and 15 may be, for example, the two portions of a plastic bag that lie along the two margins of a longitudinal slit of the bag which is opened and closed by the two fastening strips.

The first fastening strip 10 has a central web 16, the outer end of which is formed with a first pair of outwardly turned hooking flanges 18 and the rst fastening strip also has a pair of flanking webs 20 on the opposite sides of the central web which are shorter than the central web and which are formed with a second pair of inwardly turned hooking flanges 22, respectively. The

. second fastening strip 14 has a pair of laterally spaced longitudinal webs 24 which are formed with a third pair of inwardly turned hooking flanges 25 for. engagement with the first pair of hooking flanges 18 and are further formed with a fourth pair of outwardly turned hookingflanges 26' for engagement with the second pair ofl hooking flanges 22.

A slide member, generally designated 30,- forcooperation with the two fastening strips, may be made in three sections comprising a first upper casing section 32, a second lower casing section 3.4 and an intermediate section or structure in the form of a casting 35. In the construction shown, the three sections of the slide member are held together by means of rivet members 36 that are integral with the casting 35, the rivet members extendingthrough corresponding bores in the two casing sections` and being peened for permanent engagement with the casing sections. The upper casing section 32 has atop wall. 38 and two side walls 4fl.and, in like manner, the lower casing section 34 has a bottom Walli 42 and two side walls 44.

The-casting 35 holds the ltwo casing sections 32 andV 34 apart whereby the side walls 40 and`44 of the casing sections form a longitudinal slot 45 along one side of the slide member and' a second similar longitudinal slot 46 along the other side of the slide member. The interior of the slide member forms a first longitudinal passagef48 to receive the first fastening strip 10 and a second longitudinal. passage 50 to receive the second fastening` strip 14 and these Vtwo longitudinal passages converge into a single end passage 52. The first longitudinal passage 48 and the end passage 52 are open to theexterior on one longitudinal side of the slide member through the slot 45 andthe second longitudinal passage 50 together with the endy passage are open to the exterior on one longitudinal side of the slide member through the Y second longitudinal sloty 46.

The first longitudinal passage 48 spreads the first fastening strip 10 and for this purpose is formed with two laterally spaced longitudinal wedge elements 54 to spread apart the flanking webs 20 and the inwardly turned second pair of hooking flanges 22 thereof, the two wedge elements increasingv in thickness progressively towards the end passage 52. The two longitudinal Wedge elements 54 form a central longitudinal guide groove 55 to receive the centralV web 16 of the first fastening strip 10 and the first pair of hooking flanges 18 thereon. It is also apparent that the two longitudinal wedge elements 54 together with the corresponding casing sections 32 and 34 form aflaterally spaced pair of longitudinal guide grooves 56 for the two flanking webs 20 and the second pair ofy hookingV flanges22 thereon.

The second longitudinal passage 50 is provided with a central longitudinal wedge element 58 which increases progressively in thickness towards the end passage 52. Thewedge element 58 serves to spread apart the two longitudinal webs 24 of the second fastening strip 14` together with` the third pair of hooking flanges 25 and the fourth pair of hooking flanges 26.

wedge element 48 in the second longitudinal passage 59:

initially spreads apart the two longitudinal webs 24 of the secondfastening strip 1'4.

FIG. 5 shows how the two fastening strips as they progress along` the two converging longitudinal passages It can be,` seenY that the longitudinal wedge element 58 forms two longi- 4 48 and 58 are shifted progressively laterally towards each other and at the same time the two flanking webs 20 of the first fastening strip and the pair of longitudinal webs 24 of the second fastening strip are spread progressively apart.

FIG. 6 shows how at the point where the two longitudinal passages 48 and 56 converge to the beginning of the single end passage 52, the two flanking webs 20 of the first fastening strip 10 are spread apart to the maxirnum and the two longitudinal webs 24 of the second fastening strip 14 are likewise spread apart to the maximum. FIG. 6 further shows how the convergence of the two longitudinal passages 48 and 50 brings` the two fastening strips 1t) and- 14 into overlapping relation, the two longitudinal webs 24l of thel second fastening strip 14 being in positions thatstraddle the central vweb 15 of the first fastening strip 1t). It is apparent in FIG. 6 that the longitudinal guide groove 55 of the first longitudinal passage 48 extends into the material ofthe longitudinal ywedge element 58 of the second longitudinal passage to make this end of the wedge element of hollow thinwalled construction.

As the two fastening strips 10 and 14 enter the end passage 52 they are angled towards each other and continue to converge into greater overlap. Consequently the first pair of hooking flanges 18 of the first fastening stripfltl'shifts into position for engagement with the third pair of hooking flanges 25 of the second fastening strip 14. The end? passage 52 is shapedto close the third pair of hooking flanges of the second-1 fastening strip 14 into engagement with the first pair ofV hooking flanges 18 of the first fastening strip 10 in the manner shown in FIG. 7 and then, as the two strips continue to travel away from the converging longitudinal passages 48 and Sil, the end passage closes` the second pair of hooking flanges 22 of the rst fastening strip 10.r into engagement with the fourth pair ofV hooking flanges 26 of the second fastening strip 14 in the manner shown inl FIG. 8'.

To carry outl these functions the end passage 52 hasv a first portion that narrows in depth dimension for the closing action shown in FIG. 7 Vand a-second portion that narrows indepth for the closing action shown in FIG. 8. In the first portion ofthe end passage 52 immediately adjacenty the convergent ends ofthe two longitudinal passages 48 and 50, the bottom wall 42 off the lower casing section 34 is formedk with an inclined cam surface 62 (FIGS. 3, 7 and 11) and the top wall 38 of the upper casing section 32 is formed with a similar inclined cam surface 64, the two cam` surfacesl cooperating tonarrow the end-passage in depth dimension. In like manner the second'v portion of the end vpassage 52 that is further removed' from the two convergent passages 48 and 50 is narrowedin depth dimension by an inclined cam surface 65 of the bottom wall 42 and a cooperating inclined cam surface 66'of the top Wall 38.

It is apparent fromv the foregoing that whenthe two fastening strips are threaded into the outer divergent ends of the two longitudinali' passages 48and 50y and the slide member is slid longitudinally in the same relative direction, the two fastening strips are effectively progressively coupled together. The spreading action ofthe described longitudinal wedge elements in the two dii/erging passages 48 and 50`isl effective in the end-passage 52 to make the mutual engagement of the pairs of hooking flanges possible and this spreading action isv apparent for al short distance behind the traveling slide member, but the joint immediately thereafter contracts to its normal` compact thickness.

f When theslide member is movedin the opposite longitudinal direction for disengaging and' separating the two fastening strips, thesame spreading effect of the longitudinal wedge elements is effective in the end` passage 62 for the reverse order of operations. First the flanking webs 20' ofthe first fastening strip 10v spread apart to release the second pair ofrhooking flanges 22.. fromthefourth `handle to facilitate its manipulation.

meegaan pair of hooking flanges 26 of the `se'cond'fastening strip 14 and subsequently the third pair of hookingflanges V25 of the second fastening strip spread apart to release the first pair of hooking flanges 18 of the first Vfastening strip.

The slide member 30 may be provided with any suitable In the construction shown the upper casing section 32 is formed with an outer longitudinal 4bridge 68 which cooperates with the top wall 3S to form a longitudinal slot 70. A T-shaped handle 72 has a shank with a longitudinal slot 74 to clear the bridge 68, the shank being provided with -a cross pin 75 that slides in the longitudinal slot 74. Thus the handle 72 may be shifted toV either end of th'e slot 74 to serve as means to pull the slide member longitudinally. When the handle 72 is out of service it may be folded compactly against the slide member in the manner shown in FIG. 10.

FIG. 9 shows how the two fastening strips ft? and 14 may be mounted alongthe slit opening of a plastic bag 76 to-hou'se'a device together with an inert gaseous fluid. In a well known manner the two fastening strips extend free of the bag beyond one end of the slit to permit sealing the bag in a fluid-tight manner. For this purpose the free ends of the two fastening strips together with the slide member 30 thereon are encased in a small sack 78 in a fluid-tight manner.

My description in specic detail of the selected embodiment of the invention will suggest various changes, substitutions and other departures from my disclosure within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a slide fastener asesmbly, a slide member slideable in opposite directions for closing and opening a pair of mutually engageable plastic strips comprising a first strip and a second strip wherein said first strip has a central longitudinal web formed with a first pair of opposite outwardly turned longitudinal hooking flanges along its outer edge and has two shorter flanking longitudinal webs formed with a second pair of longitudinal hooking flanges thereon, respectively, turned inwards towards the central web and wherein said second strip has a pair of laterally spaced longitudinal webs shaped and dimensioned to straddle said central web of the first strip and to extend between the central web and said two flanking webs, respectively, of the first strip, said two laterally spaced longituidnal webs of the second strip being formed with a third pair of inwardly turned longitudinal hooking flanges, respecitvely, to engage said first pair of hooking flanges of the first strip, said two laterally spaced longitudinal webs being further formed with a fourth pair of outwardly turned longitudinal hooking flanges, respectively, to engage said second pair of hooking flanges of the first strip, said slide member having in combination:

a first longitudinal passage open on one of the longitudinal sides of the slide member to slidingly receive said first strip; and

a second longitudinal passage open on the other longitudinal side of the slide member to slidingly receive the second strip,

said two passages converging from one end of the slide member to form a single end passage at the other end of the slide member,

said first passage having a pair of longitudinal wedge elements increasing in thickness towards said end passage to spread said second pair of hooking flanges of the first strip, said wedge elements being spaced apart laterally to form a longitudinal groove to receive said central web of the first st-rip and the first pair of hooking flanges thereon, v

said second passage having a single longitudinal wedge element increasing in thickness towards said end passage to spread said pair of longitudinal webs of the second strip,

said longitudinal groove of the first passage converging into said single Wedge element of the second passage Cil to direct said first pair of hooking flanges of the lfirst strip into position for engagement with said third pair of hooking flanges of these/cond strip,

said end passage narrowing in depth dimension in a first portion thereof adjacent the converging ends of said first and second passages in the region -of the path of longitudinal sliding movement of the third pair of hooking flanges of the second str-ip to urge the third pair of hooking flanges into engagement with the first pair of hooking flanges of 'the first strip in response to the closing movement of the slide member,

said end passage narrowing in depth dimension in a second portion further removed from the converging ends of the first and second passages in the region of the path of longitudinal slidingmoveme'nt of said second pair of hooking flanges of 'the first 'strip to urge the second pair of hooking flanges into engagement with the fourth pair of hooking flanges of the second strip in response to the closing movement of the slide member.

2. A slide member as set forth in claim 1 having two casing sections and an intermediate structure interconnecting the two casing sections and forming therewith said two longitudinal passages, said intermediate structure holding the two casing sections spaced apart to form longitudinal slots on the opposite sides of the slide member to receive said two strips respectively, said intermediate structure being formed with said wedge elements of the two longitudinal passages.

3. A slide member as set forth in claim 2 in which said intermediate structure is a metal casting.

4. A slide member for cooperation with a pair of mutually engageable plastic strips comprising a first strip and a second strip wherein said first strip has a central longitudinal web formed with a first pair of opposite outwardly turned longitudinal hooking flanges along its outer edge and has two shorter flanking longitudinal webs formed with a second pair of longitudinal hooking flanges thereon, respectively, turned inwards towards the central web and wherein said second strip has a pair of laterally spaced longitudinal webs shaped and dimensioned to straddle said central web of the first strip and to extend between the central web and said two flanking webs, respectively, of the first strip, said two laterally spaced longitudinal webs of the second strip being formed with a third pair of inwardly turned longitudinal hooking flanges, respectively, to engage said first pair of hooking flanges of the rst strip, said two laterally spaced longitudinal webs being further formed with a fourth pair of outwardly turned longitudinal hooking flanges, respectively, to engage said second pair of hooking flanges of the first strip, said slide member having a first longitudinal passage open on one of the longitudinal sides of the slide member to slidingly receive said first strip and a second longitudinal passage open on the other longitudinal side of the slide member to receive said second strip, said two passages converging from one end of the slide member to form a single end passage at the other end of the slide member, said first passage having a central longitudinal guide groove to receive said central web of the first fastening strip and the first pair of hooking flanges thereon and having two longitudinal guide slots diverging towards said end passage to receive and spread apart said flanking webs, respectively, of the first fastening strip, said second passage having two longitudinal guide grooves diverging towards said end passage to receive and spread apart said pair of longitudinal webs respectively of the second strip, said end passage narrowing in depth dimension in a first portion thereof adjacent the converging ends of said first and second passages in the region of the path of longitudinal sliding movement of the third pair of hooking flanges of the second strip to urge the third pair of hooking flanges into engagement with the first pair of hooking flanges of the first .7 strip in response to the closing movement of the slide member,

said end passage narrowing in depth dimension in a second portion further removed from the converging ends of the rst and second passages in the region of the path of longitudinal sliding movement of said second pair of hooking anges of the rst strip to urge the second pair of hooking flanges into engagement with the fourth pair of hooking anges of the second strip in response to the closing movement of the slide member.

5. A slide member as set forth in claim 4 in which said two longitudinal guide grooves of the second passage overlap andV straddle the central longitudinal guide groove of the rst passage at the converging ends of the two passages with thin walls separating the three grooves adjacent said irst portion of the end passage.

6. Aslide member as set forth in claim 4 having two casing sections and an intermediate structure interconnect- References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,606,352 Wende Aug. 12, 1952 2,823,720 Svec Feb. 18, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 375,235 Italy Sept. 28, 1939 

1. IN A SLIDE FASTENER ASSEMBLY, A SLIDE MEMBER SLIDEABLE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FOR CLOSING AND OPENING A PAIR OF MUTUALLY ENGAGEABLE PLASTIC STRIPS COMPRISING A FIRST STRIP AND A SECOND STRIP WHEREIN SAID FIRST STRIP HAS A CENTRAL LONGITUDINAL WEB FORMED WITH A FIRST PAIR OF OPPOSITE OUTWARDLY TURNED LONGITUDINAL HOOKING FLANGES ALONG ITS OUTER EDGE AND HAS TWO SHORTER FLANKING LONGITUDINAL WEBS FORMED WITH A SECOND PAIR OF LONGITUDINAL HOOKING FLANGES THEREON, RESPECTIVELY, TURNED INWARDS TOWARD THE CENTRAL WEB AND WHEREIN SAID SECOND STRIP HAS A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED LONGITUDINAL WEBS SHAPED AND DIMENSIONED TO STRADDLE SAID CENTRAL WEB OF THE FIRST STRIP AND TO EXTEND BETWEEN THE CENTRAL WEB AND SAID TWO FLANKING WEBS, RESPECTIVELY, OF THE FIRST STRIP, SAID TWO LATERALLY SPACED LONGITUIDNAL WEBS OF THE SECOND STRIP BEING FORMED WITH A THIRD PAIR OF INWARDLY TURNED LONGITUDINAL HOOKING FLANGES, RESPECTIVELY, TO ENGAGE SAID FIRST PAIR OF HOOKING FLANGES OF THE FIRST STRIP, SAID TWO LATERALLY SPACED LONGITUDINAL WEBS BEING FURTHER FORMED WITH A FOURTH PAIR OF OUTWARDLY TURNED LONGITUDINAL HOOKING FLANGES, RESPECTIVELY, TO ENGAGE SAID SECOND PAIR OF HOOKING FLANGES OF THE FIRST STRIP, SAID SLIDE MEMBER HAVING IN COMBINATION: A FIRST LONGITUDINAL PASSAGE OPEN ON ONE OF THE LONGITUDINAL SIDES OF THE SLIDE MEMBER TO SLIDINGLY RECEIVE SAID FIRST STRIP; AND A SECOND LONGITUDINAL PASSAGE OPEN ON THE OTHER LONGITUDINAL SIDE OF THE SLIDE MEMBER TO SLIDINGLY RECEIVE THE SECOND STRIP, SAID TWO PASSAGES CONVERGING FROM ONE END OF THE SLIDE MEMBER TO FORM A SINGLE END PASSAGE AT THE OTHER END OF THE SLIDE MEMBER, SAID FIRST PASSAGE HAVING A PAIR OF LONGITUDINAL WEDGE ELEMENTS INCREASING IN THICKNESS TOWARDS SAID END PASSAGE TO SPREAD SAID SECOND PAIR OF HOOKING FLANGES OF THE FIRST STRIP, SAID WEDGE ELEMENTS BEING SPACED APART LATERALLY TO FORM A LONGITUDINAL GROOVE TO RECEIVE SAID CENTRAL WEB OF THE FIRST STRIP AND THE FIRST PAIR OF HOOKING FLANGES THEREON, SAID SECOND PASSAGE HAVING A SINGLE LONGITUDINAL WEDGE ELEMENT INCREASING IN THICKNESS TOWARDS SAID END PASSAGE TO SPREAD SAID PAIR OF LONGITUDINAL WEBS OF THE SECOND STRIP, SAID LONGITUDINAL GROOVE OF THE FIRST PASSAGE CONVERGING INTO SAID SINGLE WEDGE ELEMENT OF THE SECOND PASSAGE TO DIRECT SAID FIRST PAIR OF HOOKING FLANGES OF THE FIRST STRIP INTO POSITION FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID THIRD PAIR OF HOOKING FLANGES OF THE SECOND STRIP, SAID END PASSAGE NARROWING IN DEPTH DIMENSION IN A FIRST PORTION THEREOF ADJACENT THE CONVERGING ENDS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PASSAGES IN THE REGION OF THE PATH OF LONGITUDINAL SLIDING MOVEMENT OF THE THIRD PAIR OF HOOKING FLANGES OF THE SECOND STRIP TO URGE THE THIRD PAIR OF HOOKING FLANGES INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FIRST PAIR OF HOOKING FLANGES OF THE FIRST STRIP IN RESPONSE TO THE CLOSING MOVEMENT OF THE SLIDE MEMBER, SAID END PASSAGE NARROWING IN DEPTH DIMENSION IN A SECOND PORTION FURTHER REMOVED FROM THE CONVERGING ENDS OF THE FIRST AND SECOND PASSAGES IN THE REGION OF THE PATH OF LONGITUDINAL SLIDING MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND PAIR OF HOOKING FLANGES OF THE FIRST STRIP TO URGE THE SECOND PAIR OF HOOKING FLANGES INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FOURTH PAIR OF HOOKING FLANGES OF THE SECOND STRIP IN RESPONSE TO THE CLOSING MOVEMENT OF THE SLIDE MEMBER. 